Instant messaging (IM) is a way of communicating and transferring information between computing devices. Particularly in a corporate setting, instant messaging has become widely used to communicate, via electronic messages, in a timely matter. When a typical IM conversation ends, a transcript of the conversation may be stored in a file system located on the computer of a participant in the IM conversation. This information is not readily discovered and accessible by users of other computing devices.
An example of a conventional method for retrieving such information involves searching for key words or topics that correspond to an IM conversation stored on a central server. Similarly, in a peer-to-peer setting, one computer may directly query another, using key words, search terms, etc., for a matching IM conversation.